


your stupid charm, your stupid voice

by simply_kelp



Category: Lord of the Rings - Fandom
Genre: Gimli's totally pulled Legolas' pigtails, M/M, Stream of Consciousness, grade school au, tfw your crush likes you but you're seven and not good at emotions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-19
Updated: 2015-10-19
Packaged: 2018-04-27 01:52:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5029138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simply_kelp/pseuds/simply_kelp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Get out of my school” the note says in untidy script. Legolas looks up to see Gimli watching him out of the corner of his eye.</p>
            </blockquote>





	your stupid charm, your stupid voice

Gimli’s sitting outside Principal Gandalf’s office. The chair is too big so his feet don’t reach the floor. He’s not short for his age, it’s just that all the elves are so much taller. Even the ones that are Gimli’s age. And the chair was made for elves not dwarves. He runs his fingers over the rough plastic of the seat. There’s a smaller chair, but it’s on the other side of the room and it’s next to Legolas and Gimli doesn’t want to sit next to Legolas.

Legolas probably sat on one of the dwarf chairs so that he could laugh at Gimli because his feet don’t touch the ground. But Gimli doesn’t care because Legolas looks dumb because he’s too tall for the chair he’s sitting in and his legs are folded up so he looks like a frog. He’s even wearing green. Gimli chuckles to himself. He kicks his feet out. His boots make a satisfying clunk as they hit the metal legs of the chair. Mr. Elrond gives him a sharp look. Gimli looks away.

Legolas sighs and stretches his legs out in front of him. Gimli watches him from the corner of his eye. Legolas glances over in Gimli’s direction so Gimli looks away quick. The beads in his braids rattle and he winces. Stupid, stupid. He chances looking over in Legolas’ direction. Legolas isn’t looking at him anymore, he’s looking out the window and braiding a lock of hair.

There’s a lot of things Gimli hates about Legolas. Like how is hair is shiny and makes Gimli think of the gold chain that his dad wears that belonged to his grandpa before and his great-grandpa before that; Gimli will get to wear it one day, but not too soon because then that would mean that Dad would be gone and Gimli doesn’t want that. Legolas twirls the lock of hair between his fingers and Gimli finds his head tilting to get a better look.

Legolas tucks his hair behind his ear, pulls his legs up so that he’s sitting criss-cross-applesauce. Legolas always beats Gimli in gym class too. But it’s not Gimli’s fault, he can’t help that Legolas’ legs are twice as long as his. Yesterday Legolas even lapped Gimli when they were running then he thought it would be funny to smile at Gimli. Gimli’s stomach twists in embarrassment as he remembers.

Legolas tilts his head up to look at the ceiling and slowly rolls it over to look in Gimli’s direction again. Gimli looks away quick. His beads rattle again. He wants to look and see if Legolas is still looking at him but doesn’t. Instead he plays with one of the beads in his hair. It’s gold (like Legolas’ hair).

“I don’t know why you don’t like me,” Legolas says. He sounds sad.

Gimli huffs and crosses his arms. His backpack slips down from his lap so he has to reach and grab it quick before it falls onto the floor. “Do you want a list?” he asks. It sounds meaner now with Legolas’ hands gripping the sides of his chair and him sitting hunched over like he’s embarrassed for taking up so much space. Legolas sucks the corner of his bottom lip into his mouth. Gimli has to look away.

Mr. Elrond clears his throat. Gimli doesn’t look at him so Mr. Elrond makes a little cough noise. Gimli fiddles with the snap on his backpack as he looks at Mr. Elrond. Mr. Elrond gives him a ‘that was mean’ look and does a little nod in Legolas’ direction.

Legolas is looking out the window with his arms folded up and his legs folded up. His bottom lip is still between his teeth.

“I… sorry,” Gimli says. Legolas looks at him again and Gimli looks away.

“What did I do to you?” Legolas asks, voice small.

Gimli shrugs and his beads rattle again. The corner of Legolas’ mouth twitches. Gimli doesn’t like the way it makes his stomach do flip-flops. He kicks his feet out in front of him. Mr. Elrond is typing and the click-click of the keyboard helps. “Nothing,” Gimli admits. He snaps and unsnaps the pocket on his backpack. “It’s just…” he starts.

But Gimli doesn’t say anymore because the door bursts open and Legolas’ dad flies into the room all gold hair and fancy clothes. The door opens again and in comes Dad. “So much for the legendary hospitality of the elves,” he grumbles. “Couldn’t even hold the door open.”

Legolas’ dad shoots Dad a glare. “This is what happens when they let riff raff into the school,” he says in a not-really whisper. “Are you all right, son?” He hovers over Legolas, petting his hair, checking him over like he and Gimli were in a fistfight or something. Legolas glances over at Gimli from under his dad’s elbow, ears bright red, and quickly, shyly looks down.

Gimli doesn’t hear what his dad is saying because his stomach is doing somersaults and he feels something. He just can’t say what.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [this](http://simply-kelp.tumblr.com/post/131453809424/fellowshipofthegay-simply-kelp) post on tumblr. Title from "John Michael" by Russian Red.


End file.
